Cobra kit car interior retrim using Haynes manual on "How to trim".

[Dixie]

Rear panel now in place.  Put some sound deadening behind it and rubber mounted the fuel pump plus tidied up the wiring and calibrated the fuel sender probe.

Fibreglassed it in place, so it should stop some road noise and rattles.

[Dixie]

A mate at work made me a stainless expansion tank out of an old bit of pipe I had lying around.  Should look nice in the engine bay.

[Dixie]

Expansion tank installed.  Should collect the water that is expelled from header tank when it expands, then when it cools it is sucked back into the header tank to re-fill the system.

[Bulldog Bri]

Very smart Mark.

[Dixie]

Very smart Mark.

Thanks Bri.

[Dixie]

Didnt know whether it was a good idea to strat spraying today, but I was bored so thought sod it and started masking up.

Warmed the garage up, got the paint out and had a go.  Results are not perfect but some 1200 wet and dry will sort that out.  Going to leave to dry for a couple of days before I get the T-Cut out and put the door seals on.  Then I have to tackle making the hinges.

['The Gaffer']

Great work Mark, cant wait to see the finished result

[Dixie]

Great work Mark, cant wait to see the finished result

Sadly  most of the work wont be on show, its all behind the scenes.  I have repaired what the previous owner cocked up, plus re-done stuff that I rushed when building it.  Should stop all the rattles and squeaks.

[Hairy Santa]

Great work Mark, cant wait to see the finished result

Sadly  most of the work wont be on show, its all behind the scenes.  I have repaired what the previous owner cocked up, plus re-done stuff that I rushed when building it.  Should stop all the rattles and squeaks.

Looks brill mate (proper job)
will have to get my squeaks and rattle tester out to check it all out once you have finished  -

no 1 lughole

[Dixie]

Well finally attempted the hinges.  Had no idea how to do it, but started it anyway and it just developed into the items shown.

This is prototype no 1.




Also cut the carpet and had a go at trimming the edge.  Took a while to get my head around how to do it, looks quite good when on the car.

['The Gaffer']

Wow, you have been busy Have to taken a month off work to fit it all in?

[Dixie]

Wow, you have been busy Have to taken a month off work to fit it all in?

Amazing what you can do a couple of hours per night and an engineering shop at work.

[Dixie]

I have been busy again this evening.  Put the door seals on and the door shut protector.  For those who are interested, these are kitchen surface edge protectors from Ebay and cost a mighty £1.50 ea, bargain of the day.






Also onto prototype no2 on door hinge.  This one is much stronger and looks more like it.

['The Gaffer']

One hell of a job there mate. Hope the family get to see you once in a while

[Dixie]

One hell of a job there mate. Hope the family get to see you once in a while

It's either the garage for an hour per night OR a straight jacket and the men in white coats turn up.  My missus is great, but I dont go out until 7.30pm and am usually back in by 8.30pm.  Sadly my job takes me away a couple of days per week, so trying to fit it all in is a challenge.

['The Gaffer']

Its great to have a little support in the kitcar world. My missus is great too.

[Dixie]

Prototype no 2 going in the bin.  The bend isn't long enough.  Also need to slot the holes in the plate on the door to give some adjustment.  Proving to be very difficult to get right.

[Dixie]

Version 3.  Following a conversation with Santa, I have made another hinge.  This time with a much more pronounced curve.  Plus changed the pivot point so that the door opens easier.

Don't look too closely at this, it's only a bodge to see if it fits.  I will then make up out of machined steel and powder coat it Black.













Put hinges on.  Now going to make the proper ones out of 40mm x 6mm flat bar.

['The Gaffer']

Just trying to get my head around the hinges Mark.

Do the hinges you have made just stop the door from opening too far or do they have another purpose?

I was just wondering why you couldent use webbing or some kind of leather strap? Not strong enough?

Nice work whatever

[Dixie]

Just trying to get my head around the hinges Mark.

Do the hinges you have made just stop the door from opening too far or do they have another purpose?

I was just wondering why you couldent use webbing or some kind of leather strap? Not strong enough?

Nice work whatever

Hi Phil.  The hinges have to be this shape so that the door opens correctly and far enough to actually get in the car, plus strong enough to hold the door, the previous hidden hinges have been scrapped in preferance to open agricultural looking ones. I am using a leather strap to stop it opening too far.  The geometry of the door is quite complicated, it needs to open out before it swings round, otherwise it hits the body of the car.  It's a compromise between angle and not making it to big so that the curve intrudes into the cabin.  Been a real headache.

[Dixie]

Completed the underside of the passenger side foot well.  I have even carpeted the bits no one will see??  how anal is that?.  Also I took off the previous carpet, just wasnt happy with it.

Replaced the alarm, and fixed the washer bottle in place.  Put a aluminium foot place infront of the bottle to cover up the messy tubes and wires.

Then had a sleep with my dog Margo.

Found a great little tube light in Focus, cost £6.50.  Makes it easier working outside the garage

['The Gaffer']

You will have a car to be very proud of Mark.

Love the last pic

[Dixie]

You will have a car to be very proud of Mark.

Love the last pic

Thanks Phil.  Knowing me I'll probably sell it when finished.

[Bulldog Bri]

Thanks Phil.  Knowing me I'll probably sell it when finished.

Not till we've had a chance to see all of this work for real  please

['The Gaffer']

Thanks Phil.  Knowing me I'll probably sell it when finished.

Nnnnnnnoooooooooo you cant do that!!! It's way too nice.

[YellaBelly]

Don't know who looks more relaxed in the photos, you or the dog? lol!

[Dixie]

Just started on door, going to fill in all the holes and fit the door locks properly.  The idea is to keep the door simple, and have minimal door covering.  Keeping in line with the srtipped out look.






Holes nearly covered, door handle offered up to check fit.

[Dixie]

Don't know who looks more relaxed in the photos, you or the dog? lol!

She is my mate.  Totally spoilt.




See what I mean.

['The Gaffer']

Awwwwwww

[Dixie]

Version 4 of hinges, the finished version.  Used 50mm x 10mm flat bar.  Sould be strong enough unless Hairysanta sits on them.












Shut lines dont look too bad, not perfect but ok.

[Hairy Santa]

Version 4 of hinges, the finished version.  Used 50mm x 10mm flat bar.  Sould be strong enough unless Hairysanta sits on them.

I will have to give them a test - he he

they do look the dogs dodah's -- nice job mate

[Dixie]

New tyres for the rear wheels.  Copied Santa and got some 255x60xR15 "CooperCobra's"  But I think they may be too big, so watch this space, they will be up for sale soon!!!

Also finished filling in the holes in the doors ready for cards.  Also repositioned the door handle.

[Richard]

you really are getting a good move on and some impressive work as always !!!!

Still think unwise to ask Hairy to sit on them for a test though 

['The Gaffer']

Shame about the tyres mate.

Hinges look great!!

[Dixie]

Good news, the tyres fit the wheels and the wheels fit the car perfectly.  It fills the arch very well, reduced the gap by 15mm, looks really good.

Only small issue is that I will need to take off some metal off the spinner hub, but thats a fairly simple job.

[Hairy Santa]

Good news, the tyres fit the wheels and the wheels fit the car perfectly.  It fills the arch very well, reduced the gap by 15mm, looks really good.

Only small issue is that I will need to take off some metal off the spinner hub, but thats a fairly simple job.

I recon they look just the job, or tech talk -- the DB's

[Dixie]

Finally made the door cards and liitle cover to go around the door handle.  Covered it in leather today and trial fitted.

Got to take off now and paint the door and hinges before re assembly and then start the drivers side.

[Hairy Santa]

That certainly looks like a real good job - you sure you havn't got a pro trimmer living round the corner from you

brill job mate

['The Gaffer']

The wheels and tyres look great Mark, glad it all worked out

How much more work do you have planned?

[Dixie]

The wheels and tyres look great Mark, glad it all worked out

How much more work do you have planned?

Just got to re-install the new carpets on the passenger side, then start on the drivers side.  Should be quicker to do because I already have the hinges made and lessons learnt from the mistakes made on this side.  And install a 12V power socket under the dash for a SAT NAV and battery monitor/conditioner/charger.

Going to line the boot next and then fit 12V lights in the bonnet and boot to luminate these areas in times of darkness.

Then finally put rivets the bonnet (courtesy of Santa) and put Aluminium stone guards on rear wings.  Then ?? A Grinnal Scorpion!!

Got to be done before 22nd February, this is when my transfer papers run out on my new registration.